HOLLYWOOD—There were absolutely some surprises at the 2026 British Academy of Film and Television Arts on Sunday, February 22. The ceremony which had been previously hosted by actor David Tennant had a new host this year, with actor and “The Traitors” (U.S. version) host, Alan Cumming taking the helm.
Was Cumming a suitable host? Yes, but he wasn’t as effective as Tennant in my previous opinion. The jokes came easy for Tennant, where it felt like Cumming was searching for jokes that would land for an audience that didn’t just include Brits, but Americans. Not the easiest audience to please as humor for the Brits is a bit different than that for Americans. With that said, walking into the ceremony Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” led all contenders with a total of 14 nominations, with “Sinners” and “Hamnet” followed closed behind with 13 and 11 nominations respectively.
With that said, “One Battle After Another” dominated with 6 victories including Best Film. Yes, the dark dramedy as I like to call it is still looking like an Oscar favorite, but there is more we can examine after the Actors Awards (formerly known as the Screen Actors Guild Awards) which will be handed out on March 1. The biggest surprise was the Lead Actor, Supporting Actress and Supporting Actor categories. How so, might you ask?
Well, Timothee Chalamet has dominated so far this awards season, but he was not the winner at the BAFTA Awards, it was Robert Aramayo who claimed the prize for his riveting turn in “I Swear.” He also won the EE Rising Star Awards (which is voted for by the public). What does this mean for Chalamet? I don’t think much, considering Aramayo is NOT nominated for an Academy Award for his performance, but it raises a question if Wagner Moura, who IS nominated for Best Actor could be a possible dark horse in the race, but guess what, he was not nominated for a BAFTA Award.
However, the more interesting races are Supporting Actor that saw a victor for Sean Penn for “One Battle After Another” over perennial favorite Stellan Skarsgard for “Sentimental Value.” Skarsgard losing here opens the door for Penn, whose performance is incredible in the movie. I will just say this, if Penn wins at the Actors Awards on Sunday, March 1, that changes the Oscar race completely.
Then we have the Supporting Actress race which has felt like a cakewalk for Teyana Taylor for “One Battle After Another,” but the surprise was a win for Wunmi Mosaku for “Sinners.” Yes, Mosaku won the prize besting Taylor, which means the Brits love that movie, which means momentum is growing and we could see a duel come Oscar Sunday between the two ladies. Again, here is where the SAG Awards becomes pivotal because a win for Mosaku means Taylor is losing steam, while a victory for Taylor means, a battle royale is coming Oscar Sunday and I love when things are unpredictable.
Jessie Buckley continued to be unstoppable in the Leading Actress race winning for her performance in “Hamnet,” while Ryan Coogler is looking like the favorite for Best Original Screenplay after a victory for “Sinners.” Paul Thomas Anderson walked away with 3 BAFTA trophies for Best Film, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay for “One Battle After Another.”
“Hamnet” was victorious in the Outstanding British Film category, while “Sentimental Value” won the award for Film Not in the English Language race. “One Battle After Another” also won awards in the technical races of Editing and Cinematography.
There was a big interruption at the ceremony, that has all chatting on social media about the fallout after a racial slur was uttered by attendee John Davidson, who suffers from Tourette’s syndrome. His story is the focal point of the movie “I Swear” which was nominated. I don’t want to really talk about or get into a conversation about this at the current moment. I need some time to process and truly think about what unfolded before discussing. All I will say is that that is difficult to see the look on the faces of actors Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo who were presenting when that slur was shouted. Not comfortable at all.
As I mentioned about a month ago, awards season is going to culminate with a battle between “One Battle After Another” and “Sinners.” Who comes out at the end? That is still up for debate, but it’s going to be fun to watch.
